Saturday, February 28, 2015

Open Courseware on Research Evaluation Metrics, Bibliometrics and Scientometrics

From INFLIBNET Centre, UGC, India
The following course on Informetrics & Scientometrics is available online with India's e-PG Pathshala: A Gateway to All Post Graduate Courses [An MHRD Project under its National Mission on Education through ICT (NME-ICT)]. The course contents are freely available online.

From UNESCO
The following course on Research Evaluation Metrics is available with UNESCO's Open Access Curricula for Researchers and Librarians. The course contents are now freely available online with CC-BY license. Module 4: Research Evaluation Metrics
This module dwells on a number of methods (including old and new) available for research evaluation. The module comprises the following four units:

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Workshop on the Politics of Non-Communicable Diseases in the Global South, King's College London and Queen Mary University of London, 2 and 3 October 2015

Over the last ten years, there has been mounting alarm about the growing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) epidemic in the global South and the health and economic burden it represents. International organisations like the WHO have published numerous reports and action plans to tackle this new epidemic. Likewise, governments have expressed concern about this rising threat, recently passing a Political Declaration on the Prevention and Control of NCDs at the United Nations. Public health experts, too, have called for more attention to be paid to this new epidemic, as illustrated by The Lancet's frequent special issues on the topic. Last but not least, health charities and patient organisations have also voiced their anxiety and recently established, with the support of the pharmaceutical industry, the NCD Alliance to campaign for action against the chronic disease epidemic in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). As these different actors have repeatedly argued, NCDs – usually defined as comprising four conditions (cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory disorders) related to four behavioural risk factors (diet, physical activity, smoking and alcohol) – have become a critical issue for LMICs. Drawing on complex epidemiological data, they point out that more than 60% of deaths worldwide are NCD-related and nearly 80% of these deaths occur in these countries. Such a high prevalence of NCDs, they argue, constitutes one of the major challenges for development in the twenty-first century. On one hand, NCDs are viewed as a negative consequence of socio-economic development, with economic growth and rapid urbanisation having led to the rise of modern lifestyles like smoking and drinking. On the other hand, NCDs are understood to be a serious threat to future development through both their negative impact on the productivity of working age populations and the double burden of disease they place on already overstretched health systems.

While there is a growing public health literature on NCDs in the global South, the interventions by more critical social science researchers have been sparse. Organised by the Department of Social Science, Health & Medicine at King's College London and the Schools of Politics & International Relations and Geography at Queen Mary University of London, this workshop is a first step towards addressing this gap. We invite political scientists, anthropologists, historians, sociologists, geographers and public health experts interested to examine current initiatives to problematise and govern the chronic disease epidemic in emerging economies to submit abstracts of no more than 250 words to David Reubi (david.reubi@kcl.ac.uk) by 15 March 2015. Among others, submissions may explore the making of chronic disease as a problem of development in international forums and across countries of the global South. They may, for example, examine the narratives through which the problem is framed and analyse the techniques such as epidemiological models and maps that make it possible to view chronic diseases as a development issue. Submissions may also consider the influence of the tobacco, alcohol and food companies in globalising risk factors associated with NCDs as well as the role of the pharmaceutical industry and philanthropic foundations in creating drug markets for chronic diseases in the global South. Alternatively, submissions can also investigate the way health advocates and patient groups in the global South translate, resist and re-appropriate the international public health strategies that aim to mitigate against the epidemic in the global South. Thanks to the generous financial support of the both the Wellcome Trust and the UK Economic and Social Research Council, the organisers will be able to fund travel to and from the workshop as well as accommodation for all the speakers.

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Nalanda's Cosy Club: The Revival of a University in Nalanda is a Noble Mission, But the past seven years have seen a hijacking of the project by a small cliqueby Ashok Malik | February 24, 2015 | The Indian Express

In the heat of the moment, it is easy to lose perspective. Let us step back and consider what the Nalanda University project is all about. Nalanda University and the South Asian University (SAU) were conceived by the UPA government as world-class institutions that, while being located in India, would be outside the purview of the University Grants Commission and government regulations.This special dispensation was meant to allow these universities to draw on government of India funding but recruit international faculty and students, and develop curricula in line with international best practices. They were to be treated as international organisations (like the World Bank and UN agencies), exempt from taxation and eligible for diplomatic immunities and privileges.In 2007, a Nalanda Mentor Group (NMG) was set up, with Amartya Sen as chair. It was tasked with guiding the process of setting up the university. Seven years and many meetings later, Nalanda University opened its doors in Rajgir, Bihar, with a handful of faculty and students. Sen has been vocal in blaming the government for this delay and this disappointing state, but closer scrutiny reveals a much more complex landscape. Indeed, it shows the NMG in less than favourable light.Controversy has dogged this project from its inception. The first visitor of the university, former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, dissociated himself from the project in 2011. In 2013-14, the ministry of finance, then under P. Chidambaram, objected to the manner in which the special dispensation was being operated. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), too, has been critical.The ministry of external affairs (MEA) has had its misgivings. As foreign minister, S.M. Krishna recorded his objection to the opaque manner in which Sen selected the vice chancellor and asked for a fresh approach. The relevant file noting is available. Krishna was overruled by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) under Manmohan Singh. To be fair, innovating within government is difficult. Creating an "offshore" university like Nalanda requires not just an ability to innovate but also the dexterity to navigate the framework of parliamentary accountability and government rules and procedures in creating new precedents. While this was not entirely the responsibility of the NMG and the chancellor, the choice of vice chancellor proved to be remarkably inauspicious.As a government official told this writer in the winter of 2013, "A mid-level academic, at one of the affiliated colleges of Delhi University, with no known experience in institution-building, was selected to steer this flagship project, apparently over more respected names. We don't know why." How was the vice chancellor selected? There is no available history of advertisements, global searches, and candidate interviews with wide-ranging panels.All that the government has is a letter from Amartya Sen to the MEA. It says he has "considered" three names — Gopa Sabharwal, Pratap Bhanu Mehta and Ramachandra Guha — and selected Sabharwal. It does not say who else was on the longlist or shortlist. It does not invite comments and consultation on a reappraisal or expansion of the list of names on offer.This was the arbitrariness that both Kalam and Krishna objected to. The manner of selection of the vice chancellor drew negative comments from the CAG as well. Further, it was questioned in Parliament. The CAG also objected to the propriety and procedure of fixing the salary of the vice chancellor. This was done by the NMG, by then re-designated as the interim governing board. The annual salary was fixed at $80,000 (tax-free).How was this figure arrived at? The NMG/ governing board simply borrowed the sum from the salary payable to the vice chancellor of the SAU. Government agencies, such as the finance ministry, were not consulted. Yet, as was pointed out, the SAU has a different charter. It is funded by the Saarc, a multilateral organisation. The SAU vice chancellor's salary is benchmarked against the salary of the secretary general of Saarc (based in Kathmandu).In contrast, while Nalanda University has received small grants from countries that are participants in the East Asia Summit, the bulk of its funding comes from the Indian taxpayer. Over the coming five or six years, it is estimated that the government will spend Rs 2,700 crore on the Nalanda University project. Surely, this necessitates some accountability and at least as much transparency as is expected from the government? This was exactly the issue the CAG raised.In 2010, the Nalanda University Act was passed by Parliament. It allowed the NMG to function as the interim governing board for one year, till a proper governing board was set up by the government. This was never done. In 2011 and 2012, the NMG was given one-year extensions to function as the interim governing board. In 2013, it was given an indefinite extension.The governing board is meant to comprise 14 members. Nine of these represent the governments of India (including the MEA and the HRD ministry) and of Bihar. In the winter of 2013-14, Sen mooted a proposal to amend the Nalanda University Act and raise the strength of the governing board to 18. The four new members, all non-government, would be nominated by members of the existing governing board. For example, the vice chancellor would nominate a representative of the faculty as member of the governing board.In effect, the NMG/ governing board would become a self-perpetuating body, with members choosing their successors. This cosy club would have authority to spend Rs 2,700 crore of taxpayer money over a half-decade. The amendment was formally recommended by Montek Singh Ahluwalia, in his capacity as the then chair of the National Monitoring Committee for Nalanda University. The PMO, under Manmohan Singh, initially supported the proposed amendment. After ferocious objections from the MEA and the finance ministry, and fearful of another scandal, the idea was dropped.Quite unconscionably, even the BJP-led government has not constituted a formal governing board for Nalanda University. It has allowed the NMG/ interim arrangement to continue. All that is happening is Sen's term as chancellor is expiring in July 2015. As such, he will stop being a member of the interim governing board. Earlier this year, the government told the interim governing board that it would not be giving the current chancellor (Sen) a fresh term. It asked the interim governing board to recommend three names for chancellorship. Sen has described this as an infringement of academic independence.Importantly, Sen has not come up with any other example of such infringement. He has not accused the MEA or the government of intervening on any issue of recruitment of academics or development of curricula. The efforts of the ministry to reconcile the university's autonomy with the MEA's accountability to Parliament were not helped by the NMG insisting that autonomy meant complete freedom to set its own rules on how taxpayer money was to be spent.Questions posed by the MEA were repeatedly fobbed off by citing "academic autonomy". In 2013, the MEA reviewed the project and concluded management capacity was a major constraint in meeting deadlines. No registrar was appointed for three years. A thin crew of a vice chancellor and a dean of academic affairs (on secondment from Delhi University), with limited experience, a finance officer (with no relevant experience of project finance) and two consultants could not be entrusted with institution-building of this magnitude.The MEA then proposed sending a senior civil servant, with a relevant professional background, to handle non-academic work relating to the project for a two- or three-year period. The NMG protested, labelling this government interference and bureaucratisation. Manmohan Singh's PMO backed the NMG.The revival of a university in Nalanda is a noble and eminently desirable mission. However, the past seven years have seen only limited progress and a hijacking of the project by a small clique. Sen, as chancellor, cannot escape responsibility here. Of course, the end of his term as chancellor need not end his association with Nalanda University. He is free to lecture there. Even beyond July 2015, the university could benefit from his scholarship. For his part, he must decide if he wants to be remembered as a great teacher — or an indifferent administrator.

The GLACINDIA project is a multi-disciplinary project involving cooperation between European (Norway, Germany), Indian (DST-GOI, JNU) and US (NCAR) partner institutes, started largely in late 2014. The primary objective of the project is to produce updated and scientifically robust data on water related effects of changes in mass balance of glaciers and river runoff, aiming at reducing uncertainties in one region of Western Himalaya by a combination of field data and measurements coupled with climate downscaling and modeling of glacier mass balance. Results of the project will be made available to stakeholders in the Himalayan region in order to support the climate related decision making process.Within the frame work of GLACINDIA project a one day stakeholder workshop will be organized combined with two day training course from 8th to 10th April 2015 at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, India. The workshop is a good opportunity for policy makers dealing with climate change and adaptation in various sectors to get the latest information about the project activities and to interact with experts from these fields in order to tailor the dissemination of the project results towards their needs and expectations.

The training program is designed for scientific community from various government sectors, and equally interesting for Master's-level, Ph. D. applicants as well as Postdoctoral researchers involved in the earth sciences, primarily studying or conducting research within the area of water and climate change in the Himalayan region. The course will be conducted in English. Conference is for Indian nationals only.

Workshop Objectives:The main objective of the one day stakeholder workshop is to facilitate a close interaction between stakeholders in the region and the scientific community. During the workshop focus will be set on one hand to the introduction of the project to the stakeholders. The state of the art in climate and glacier related work in the Himalayan region will be highlighted and potential outcomes and user oriented products of the GLACINDIA activity will be presented and discussed. On the other hand a substantial input on climate information needs of the stakeholders is foreseen by having working groups and discussion rounds on this topics. Finally the workshop will try to match the work conducted within the GLACINDIA activity with the expressed needs and thereby set up a roadmap for the continuation of the GLACINDIA research activities. Stakeholders who are directly dependent and interacting with Himalayan ecosystem as their livelihood depend on these resources along within the administrative and NGO's who are responsible for the Himalayan eco management will be targeted. Their experience and expectations on climatic impact on the livelihood will be focused during workshop.

Training Objectives:The main objective of the two day training course is to educate participants about adaptation to changing climate and associated water resources and water demand with glacier retreat, changing monsoon patterns and related science policy interaction. The workshop will improve knowledge of the participants on climate change, and uncertainty coupled with the processes. The course will also give participants a hands-on experience in the analysis of climate and climate impact data's. All the lectures and hands-on will be delivered by the leading experts.

Learning Objectives:Renowned keynote speakers will deliver insights into current hot topics in their areas.Have a broad range of presentations to deepen the exchange between multitudes of scientific disciplines.Offer an opportunity to present your research (poster) to a larger audience.Provide you with new perspectives and inspirations for your own projects.Interactive climate data (observed and model data) analysis sessions using modern scientific tools like CDO's, NCL, Python etc. to learn time series analysis, interactive IPython Notebook, statistical techniques, spatial analysis, etc.

Travel and Accommodation: The GLACINDIA workshop covers the participant's food, travel and accommodation.Social Event: There will be a cultural program on 9th April 2015 around 6pm. More information will be updated soon.Contact Information: All correspondence relating to GLACINDIA workshop may be addressed to: alrjnu(at)gmail.com and copy (CC) to pankaj.kumar(at)hzg.deFurther Details: http://www.climate-service-center.de/058047/index_0058047.html

"Invisible Waves: Use of Wireless in War and Empire in Early 20th Century"

by Dr. Medha Saxena

Friday, 27th February 2015

Abstract: Wireless started to interest the British colonial state in the late nineteenth century. It captured the imagination of the imperial powers even more dramatically during the Russo-Japanese war in 1904-05. Wireless had certain inherent characteristics that made its use expedient but devious. Since it was air borne it was considered useful for establishing communication over sea and recommended itself for use during war. However, wireless was an ambiguous weapon as it encroached upon both sovereign spaces and international conventions of war. It challenged the limits of politically carved territories simply by being 'up in the air'. There was constant experimentation with new wireless systems across the world but their reliability and efficiency remained questionable. International commercial concerns, imperial interests and scientific innovation converged with wireless as they did for other communication technologies. Any company, irrespective of its place of origin, could cater to the universal imperial market. Hence, the wireless experienced an international effort to regulate and facilitate its uses. To a large extent these early manipulations tried to limit rather than enhance the various strengths of the wireless. This presentation analyses the dilemmas posed due to induction of wireless in naval warfare and in gathering news from the battle front for the first time. It will also look at the context of military, scientific and commercial developments in the international arena that shaped these conflicts with reference to wireless.

About Speaker: Medha Saxena has taught as an Assistant Professor at Jesus & Mary College, University of Delhi. She has been a PhD Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies in New Delhi. After doing her BA in history from St. Stephens College, University of Delhi, she specialized in modern Indian history for her MA at Centre for Historical Studies, JNU. She received a doctorate from CHS in 2013. Her work has been trying to evaluate the centrality of communication technologies such as telephone and wireless to the working of the colonial state. Currently she is engaged in preparing her thesis for publication.

Thursday, February 19, 2015

FSAS Conference 2015: Paths to the Future for India and Pakistan

May 4, 2015

Uppsala, Sweden

The Forum for South Asia Studies at Uppsala University invites you to participate in the 2015 FSAS conference, May 4, 2015 in Uppsala with a special focus on "Paths to the future for India and Pakistan." Keynote presentations by Christophe Jaffrelot (SciencesPo), Mahvish Shami (London School of Economics) and Ian Talbot (University of Southampton). In addition we are organising workshops for South Asia scholars in Sweden.

Call for Papers and Workshops

The 2015 FSAS conference provides an opportunity for senior researchers and Ph.D students to share their current and planned research on South Asia. Although the conference keynote presentations this year will focus on recent development in India and Pakistan, FSAS invites South Asia researchers active in the fields of social sciences and humanities to make paper presentations in workshops that fit the broad scope of South Asia studies.

Possible Themes:

Environmental Challenges

Development and Economy

Peace, Justice and Democracy

Identity and Culture

Gender

Language

Religion

Proposal types:

Individual Papers - Papers can be submitted individually with or without a suggestion for a workshop theme. We accept a variety of contributions: article manuscripts, Ph.D. proposals, research proposals, etc. Papers need a title, abstract, name(s) of the author(s), and institutional affiliation. The abstract should be no longer than 200 words.

Workshop – We invite you to suggest a workshop theme for the conference. Workshop theme proposals must have a title and an abstract. You should also be able to suggest possible participants who may be ready to submit papers for the workshop. The abstract should be no longer than 200 words.

Important Dates:

25 March Registration deadline

10 April Program announcement (on this web page)

21 April Paper deadline.

4 May Conference in Uppsala

Registration deadline for the conference, and submission of paper abstract and/or workshop proposal, is 25 March 2015.

All conference papers must be submitted no later than 21 April. The details of the conference program will be announced by 10 April 2015.

Travel Grants: In particular, FSAS wants to encourage PhD candidates to participate in the conference. A limited amount of travel support grants is available for that purpose. Please indicate when registering if you apply for travel support. In case you are granted travel support, FSAS will make your ticket reservations.

Conference Dinner: All participants who present a paper and/or convene a workshop are welcome to join for a conference dinner in the evening. The dinner will be sponsored by FSAS, but you will need to pay part of the dinner fee yourself.

Call for applications: "Scientific Objects and Digital Cosmopolitanism" Summer School Venue: Manipal Centre for Philosophy and Humanities, Manipal, IndiaDates: July 20-24, 2015Co-organized by the Manipal Centre for Philosophy and Humanities and Cosmopolitanism and the Local in Science and Nature.

Description:Applications from post-graduate and doctoral students in the fields of philosophy, philosophy of science and social sciences, history and philosophy of science, science and technology studies, and cognate fields are invited to a five-day summer school in India, made possible by collaborations between institutions and scholars in Canada, India and Southeast Asia. This will be an excellent opportunity for graduate students interested in receiving advanced training in the philosophy of science and science and technology studies, with a focus on scientific objects and their relation to cosmopolitanism.The paradigm of scientific objects has undergone a major transformation in recent times. Today, scientific objects are not limited to microscopic or major astronomical objects. A new category of objects involves ontological modes of data, grids, simulation, visualization, etc. Such modes of objects are not merely peripheral props or outcomes of scientific endeavour. They actively constitute scientific theorizing, experimentation and instrumentation, and catalyze notions of cosmopolitanism in the digital world. Cosmopolitanism in this context is defined as a model of cultural and political engagement based on multidirectional exchange and contact across borders. A cosmopolitan approach treats science as a contingent, multifaceted and multicultural network of exchange. The summer school will engage with philosophical themes around the nature of new scientific objects and digital cosmopolitanism. "The event is organized by the Manipal Centre for Philosophy and Humanities (Manipal University) and by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada-funded Cosmopolitanism and the Local in Science and Nature, a three-year project to establish a research network on cosmopolitanism in science with partners in Canada, India, and Southeast Asia. The project closely examines the actual types of negotiations that go into the making of science and its culture within an increasingly globalized landscape.

Program and Faculty:Each of the days will be split among:(a) Background sessions led by Arun Bala, Gordon McOuat and Sundar Sarukkai,(b) Sessions led by other faculty members with recognized expertise in the theme, and(c) Sessions devoted to student research projects.There will be plenty of opportunities for interaction and participation. The seminar will be held in English and readings will be circulated in advance. Special events will be organized to complement session content. There also will be opportunities for exploring the incredible richness and diversity of the region.

Selection Criteria: We seek outstanding graduate students from Canada, India and Southeast Asia. We will prioritize applications from graduate students in disciplines or with experience in philosophy, philosophy of science, social studies, the history and philosophy of science, or science and technology studies.Location and Accommodations: The event will be hosted by the Manipal Centre for Philosophy and Humanities in the picturesque ocean-side state of Karnataka in south-western India. Students will be housed in student residences. The space is wheelchair accessible.Fees: A registration fee of Rs 1500 for Indian students and $100 CAD for international students will be charged. This fee will include accommodations and some meals.Financial Coverage: Students from India: Travel for India-based students will be covered by the summer school sponsors.Students from Canada and Southeast Asia: Pending government funding, travel costs may be defrayed for students from Canada or Southeast Asia. Students should indicate in their applications whether they have access to travel support (confirmed or unconfirmed) from home institutions or funding agencies. This will not affect the selection process. Acceptance letters will include more information on travel support. Students from outside Canada, India and Southeast Asia: Students from outside Canada, India and Southeast Asia will be expected to provide their own funding.Students at home institutions of "Cosmopolitanism and the Local in Science and Nature" team members are strongly encouraged to contact the local team member to discuss funding options. Information on the project's partners and team members is available on the project's "About Us" page: www.CosmoLocal.org/about-us.Any travel support will be considered as co-sponsorship to this international training event and acknowledged accordingly. Further information on funding will be included with acceptance letters.

Timeline:Deadline for applications: March 23, 2015Notification of acceptance: Week of April 6, 2015Deadline for registration forms: May 11, 2015

Procedure:Applications should include the following, preferably sent as PDFs:1. Description of research interests and their relevance to the school (max. 300 words)2. Brief Curriculum Vitae / resume highlighting relevant skills, experience and training,3. One signed letter of recommendation from a supervisor, director of graduate studies, or other faculty member familiar with applicant's research interests.

For more information, please contact :Greta Regan, Project Manager, Cosmopolitanism and the Local, University of King's College situsci@dal.caand/orDr. Gordon McOuat, History of Science and Technology Programme, University of King's College gmcouat@dal.ca

Divya Srivastava, Scientist "F", Indian Council of Medical Research, Delhi

Regional Chairs:

Regional Chair of Africa, America, Australia and Europe:

Valentina Markusova (Russia)

Regional Chair of China:

Liang Liming (China)

Regional Chair of India:

Ramesh Kundra (India)

Team: N.K. Wadhwa (India)

Divya Srivastava (India)

Sujit Bhattacharya (India)

P.K. Jain (India)

Regional Chair of Iran:

Farideh Osareh (Iran)

Scope

The broad focus of the conference is on collaboration and communication in science and technology; science policy; quantitative aspects of science of science; and combination and integration of qualitative and quantitative approaches in study of scientific practices.

The conference thus aims to contribute to evidence-based and informed knowledge about scientific research and practices which in turn may further provide input to institutional, regional, national and international research and innovation policy making.

COLLNET is a global interdisciplinary research network of scholars who are concerned to study aspects of collaboration in science and in technology (see COLLNET web site at: http://www.collnet.de/). This network of interdisciplinary scholars was established in January 2000 in Berlin with Hildrun Kretschmer as coordinator. Since that time there have been thirteen meetings:

the first in Berlin, September 2000, the 2nd in New Delhi, February 2001 and the 3rd in Sydney (in association with the 8th ISSI Conference), July 2001. The 4th COLLNET Meeting took place on August 29th in 2003 in Beijing in conjunction with the 9th International ISSI Conference; the First International Workshop on Webometrics, Informetrics and Scientometrics (WIS)and 5th COLLNET Meeting in Roorkee, India, in March 2004. The 6th COLLNET Meeting took place in association with the 10th ISSI Conference in Stockholm, Sweden, in July 2005. The Second International Workshop on Webometrics, Informetrics and Scientometrics(WIS) and 7th COLLNET Meeting was organized in Nancy, France, in May 2006. The Third International Conference on WISand Science and Society & Eighth COLLNET Meeting took place in New Delhi, India, in March 2007 (http://www.collnet-delhi.de), the Fourth International Conference on WIS&Ninth COLLNET Meeting in Berlin, Germany in July 2008 (http://www.collnet-berlin.de) and the Fifth International Conference on WIS& Tenth COLLNET Meeting in Dalian, China, in September 2009 (http://www.wiselab.cn/collnet-dalian/).The Sixth International Conference on WIS&Eleventh COLLNET Meeting took place in Mysore, India, in October 2010,the Seventh International Conference on WIS&Twelfth COLLNET Meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, in September 2011 (http://collnet.cs.bilgi.edu.tr/), the 8thInternational Conference on WIS&13thCOLLNET Meeting in Seoul, Korea, October, 2012, Seoul, Korea, http://collnet2012.ndsl.kr; the 9thInternational Conference on WIS&14thCOLLNET Meeting, August, 2013in Tartu, Estonia, http://www.etag.ee/international-research-cooperation/collnet-2013/?lang=en, September 3-5, 2014 in Ilmenau, Germany, http://www.tu-ilmenau.de/collnet2014